SYM09-008

April 28, 2009

Revision History

Risk Impact

Overview

The login web page in some versions of Symantec Reporting Server contains a URL handling error which could potentially allow an attacker to launch a phishing attack.

Affected Products

Product

Affected Version

Solution

Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition

10.1 MR7 and earlier

Update to 10.1 MR8 or later

10.2 MR1 and earlier

Update to 10.2 MR2 or later

Symantec Client Security

3.1 MR7 and earlier

Update to 3.1 MR8 or later

Symantec Endpoint Protection

11.0 MR1 and earlier

Update to 11.0 MR2 or later

Unaffected Products

Product

Version

Norton product line

all

Details

Symantec Reporting Server is a component of Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition (SAV), Symantec Client Security (SCS) and Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager (SEPM) that can be used to create reports about Symantec antivirus products in an enterprise network.

Symantec was notified that the Reporting Server login screen contained a URL handling error which could potentially be used to launch a phishing attack. The error could allow a successful attacker to display a message of their choice on the Reporting Server login screen.

Symantec Response

Symantec engineers confirmed that this exposure exists in the versions of Reporting Server indicated in the table above. Updates have been released to address the vulnerability.

The flaw only allows an attacker to display a message of their choice on the Reporting Server login screen. The attacker does not gain additional access to the Reporting Server program unless the message persuades a trusted user to forward their login credentials to the attacker.

To set up an attack, an attacker would either need access to the Reporting Server, or to entice a trusted user to click on a specially crafted link to the Reporting Server. In a recommended installation, Reporting Server is installed on the enterprise intranet, and is not visible from the internet. Installing Reporting inside the corporate firewall greatly reduces the opportunity for unauthorized access.

Reporting is an optional component of SAV and SCS. This exposure would affect SAV or SCS only if the Reporting component has been installed.

Symantec is not aware of any customers impacted by this issue, or of any attempts to exploit this issue. However, we recommend that customers update Reporting to prevent potential attempts to exploit the vulnerability.

Mitigation

Uninstall Reporting Server if it is not being used in SAV or SCS.

Access to the Report Server interface should be restricted to trusted users only

User accounts for Reporting Server should be different than the user’s network login account.

Always manually type the address of your Reporting Server login screen into your web browser. Do not follow a link to the login screen.

Protect your login credentials. Never send your id and password to a third party.

Reporting is an optional component of Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition and Symantec Client Security, and it can be updated (migrated) independently of the rest of the program. For more information, please see this knowledgebase document:

Best Practice

Keep all operating systems and applications updated with the latest vendor patches.

Run both a personal firewall and antivirus application with current updates to provide multiple points of detection and protection.

Email addresses can easily be spoofed so that a message appears to come from someone you know. If in doubt, contact the sender before opening attachments or following web links.

Credit

Symantec would like to thank Dave Lewis of LiquidMatrix for reporting this issue, and coordinating with us on the response.

CVE

The Symantec DeepSight analyst team has assigned BID 34668 to this issue.
This issue is a candidate for inclusion in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) list (http://cve.mitre.org), which standardizes names for security problems. The CVE initiative has assigned CVE-2009-1432 to this issue.

REPORTING VULNERABILITIES TO SYMANTEC

Symantec takes the security and proper functionality of our products very seriously. As founding members of the Organization for Internet Safety (OISafety), Symantec supports and follows responsible disclosure guidelines.

Symantec Corporation firmly believes in a proactive approach to secure software development and implements security review into various stages of the software development process. Additionally, Symantec is committed to the security of its products and services as well as to its customers’ data. Symantec is committed to continually improving its software security process.

This document provides an overview of the current Secure Development Lifecycle (SDLC) practice applicable to Symantec’s product and service teams as well as other software security related activities and policies used by such teams. This document is intended as a summary and does not represent a comprehensive list of security testing and practices conducted by Symantec in the software development process.

Please contact secure@symantec.com if you believe you have discovered a security issue in a Symantec product. A member of the Symantec Software Security team will contact you regarding your submission to coordinate any required response. Symantec strongly recommends using encrypted email for reporting vulnerability information to secure@symantec.com.

The Symantec Software Security PGP key can be found at the following location:

Permission to redistribute this alert electronically is granted as long as it is not edited in any way unless authorized by Symantec Software Security. Reprinting the whole or part of this alert in any medium other than electronically requires permission from secure@symantec.com.